Two Sided Diplomacy
by Cyrra
Summary: Sakura, the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan, is sent on a diplomatic event to Hong Kong where she meets the cold, reserved Syaoran Li. Things go wrong right away, but will Sakura be able to endure the hardships? AU SSXET
1. A Little Taste of Adventure

Sakura, the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan, is sent on a diplomatic mission in Hong Kong where she meets the cold, reserved Syaoran Li. Things go wrong right away, but will Sakura be able to endure the hardships? (AU)

Helloooo. This is Cirra checking in – and it's my first fic! After reading one fic after another on this site I've finally decided to write one of my own! Enjoy )

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Disclaimer: If I were as talented as CLAMP, Card Captors would be mine. But alas, I am not. So don't sue me; I'm a poor broke high school student.

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Early in the morning, two loud, distinct voices reverberated within the Kinomoto house:

"Really!"

"What!"

Touya and Sakura Kinomoto were sitting at the kitchen table when their father, Fujitaka, announced the news.

"Wow daddy! Thank you so much!" Sakura hopped up, nearly knocking over her chair, and enveloped her father in a bear hug while her older brother emitted a slight growl.

"This has got to be a joke," Touya glared, "Tell me you're not really letting her go _alone_ to Hong Kong."

With twinkling eyes, Sakura quipped, "Well, you'd be the one going if you didn't decide to go invest in some stupid business thing."

"You brat, you're 18 years old but you still act like you're 10!"

"Well, at least I don't act like I'm 50!" Sakura stuck her tongue out and grinned in triumph.

"Now, now, children," their father interrupted one of their frequent petty arguments, but humour was evident in his face. "The decision's already been made. Since I have to attend a meeting next week in New York, Sakura will just have to fill my place in Japan. Besides, Touya, it's not the first time that your little sister's been to occasions like these."

It was true. Acting as the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sakura often accompanied her father and brother vaulted from country to country to attend this and that political event – whether it be the birthday of the Moroccan King, or the instalment of a new Japanese embassy in the United States. Fujitaka Kinomoto didn't like leaving his family behind when he travelled abroad, so he decided to take them to these events. Since three years ago, though, the trio suddenly became a mere pair when Touya founded his own investment company, which attained rapid success. Soon it was only Sakura and Fujitaka in the photographs that were published in newspapers, though it never diminished Sakura's love to visit exotic new environments.

Usually these stays weren't very long, but sometimes Sakura had to miss two or three weeks of school at a time. That's why her father insisted that she had to have a private tutor with her when she travelled. Only a day ago had she finally finished enduring the tortures of high school mathematics and was ready to enter university. But she was really excited for this trip – though she had travelled with her father and brother countless times, this would be the first time that she was embarking on a journey alone. The thought thrilled her – to finally be able to wander the streets with the feeling of independence, and to be accepted by the community as an official adult.

"No way!" Touya stubbornly persisted, "She's never been on her own before. Even the last several trips you were with her, dad. How can the kaijuu take care of herself? What if she forgets that she has to eat or something." He rolled his eyes and his scowl deepened as his mind continued to probe all the possibilities of anything that could go wrong while his sister was alone.

"And," he continued, just in time to see his father open his mouth, "There are rapists and murderers in the streets! What about street gangs? And robbers, pickpockets, and…"

Before he could ramble on, Sakura cut him off with a teasing voice. "Brother, it's not like there aren't murderers and rapists here in Japan – or far away from Tomoeda." She giggled and sat back down on her chair to finish her pancakes, tucking one leg under herself and swinging the other back and forth.

Fujitaka smiled at Touya's display of brotherly concern. "Touya, Sakura won't be alone."

"I won't?" She looked confused and slightly disappointed. Just when she thought she could be on her own!

"Tomoyo's going to be travelling with her."

After hearing this Sakura screeched with joy as Touya just shook his head. "Yeah, that's some great company. Watch her come back with suitcases upon suitcases of clothes and whatnot," he added dryly.

"Oh shush! You're just jealous because I get to have fun but you have to take care of your stupid business _thingie_." She put deliberate emphasis on sounding childish just to annoy her brother. After all, that's what brothers were for!

"Then it's all settled. I've got your plane tickets booked for the day after tomorrow, so you'd better start packing! You should arrive a couple of days before their celebration of independence on the first of July, just to get some time to adjust to your surroundings. Tomoyo will be with you, and on your second day you'll meet the members of the Li Clan, who host this event every year. Stay safe; if there's any trouble you can contact Mrs. Yelan Li; she'll be able to help you."

The reason that Tomoyo Daidouji was also coming along was that her mother, Sonomi, had just launched a new clothing line in Hong Kong. Tomoyo, being one of the novice designers of the company, would be travelling to promote her new products.

"Okay! I love you daddy!" Sakura kissed her father on the cheek again, waggled her finger in front of her brother's face. "I'm going to Hong Kong and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Wanna bet, kaijuu?"

"I've told you a million times; I'm NOT a kaijuu! You are!"

"Ouch! That was my foot, kaijuu!"


	2. Fateful Meetings

March Break is finally here, and I'm going to Florida in...three hours! So the next update will be next week. And sorry for taking so long to post the second chapter...I was swamped with huge projects due last week. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy (this chapter and the break)!

Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and/or put this in their fav and alert list! It makes me feel loved D. Don't hesitate to point out any grammar mistakes or other stuffs in the chapter. I'd be more than happy to edit out any boo-boos.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. In Canada you won't get much money for civil lawsuits, anyway. So you'd just be wasting your time.

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Chapter 2: Fateful Meetings**

The bright lighting and elegant décor of the Hong Kong International Airport's arrivals receiving area greeted Sakura and Tomoyo as they wheeled their carts past the automatic sliding doors. And impressed exclamation of "Wow!" escaped Sakura's lips as she surveyed her surroundings – the lush blue carpet enveloped the building; the architecture and brilliant interior design provided a comforting atmosphere.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the voice of her female companion, and she caught the ending words of the sentence, "…and the flight wasn't as tiring as I thought it would be."

"Of course," Sakura smirked, "the flight was made infinitely more enjoyable with a certain blue-haired man on the plane."

A light pink tinge then spread over Tomoyo's face as she fought to deny Sakura's accusations, "What man?" she asked, playing innocent.

"Oh, your selective amnesia must have hit you really hard this time, dear Tomoyo, since you were flirting with him _all_ through the flight."

"No I wasn't!"

Sighing loudly, a grinning Sakura added, "I hope you got his name and phone number, at least."

It was Tomoyo's turn to look slightly crestfallen, as she replied, "No, I never got a chance. There just never seemed to be a right moment to ask and not sound like I was desperate and single."

Making a discreet look around the large area and not seeing a trace of the man they were discussing, she sighed and added, "Well, whether I'd see him again or not would be left entirely up to fate,"

Giggling, Sakura teased, "You're so cheesy!"

They continued to joke lightheartedly until they noticed that a man dressed in a black suit who looked like he was in his mid-fifties was approaching them. Suddenly Sakura remembered; didn't her dad mention something about a person from the Li Clan receiving them at the airport?

"Hello, Ms. Kinomoto and Ms. Daidouji. My name is Wei and I've been sent by Mrs. Yelan Li to assist you in settling in your hotel. I trust that your trip has been agreeable so far?"

Sakura smiled and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Wei. The flight was enjoyable." But she was confused; how did Wei know who she was?

As if he could read her mind, Wei gently added, "Most people here don't have such stunning green eyes, Miss."

Slightly embarrassed at the compliment, Sakura stuttered a thank you as an amused Tomoyo went to pick up her things; Wei then took their carts and bags and led them to the exit where the car was parked. The car turned out to be a very expensive looking Mercedes Benz, - after seeing it Tomoyo made a mental note on how influential and powerful the Li family must be to have used such a car just to receive visitors.

* * *

About an hour later they arrived in a hotel in Causeway Bay. After helping Sakura and Tomoyo unload their bags and overseeing them sent to their rooms, Wei bade the ladies good night and said that the Li Clan was looking forward to their meeting in the day after next.

Opening the door to their room, Sakura was amazed at how beautiful it was. "Look, Tomoyo! I call this bed!" Hurriedly she hopped onto the farther bed and started jumping up and down.

"Some things never change," a bemused Tomoyo added as she went to look at the breathtaking view outside the window. "You can see so much of Hong Kong here. The lights are so beautiful!"

"Ooo..I want to see! Let me see!"

Tomoyo drew back the curtain more and the two girls admired the night scene. A few moments later Tomoyo announced that she was going to take a shower and that Sakura should too. The latter stuck her tongue out and replied, "I'll take a rain check on that! I like taking showers in the mornings, and besides I'm tired."

"You lazy pig!"

"Meanie!"

Giving up, Tomoyo reminded Sakura that she should call her brother and father.

Immediately grabbing the phone, her fingers moved swiftly over the numerical sequence that was long embedded in her mind. Several rings later a deep masculine voice answered.

"Guess who!"

"The kaijuu, of course. Who else has such an annoying voice?"

"If I was in Japan I'd stomp on your foot until you couldn't walk anymore!"

"I'm so afraid, kaijuu!"

"Meanest brother in the world, can you please give the phone over to dad?"

"No."

"No? DO IT!"

"No."

"Do it now!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No. What part of "no" don't you understand?"

"Grrr! You're the meanest person on earth!"

In the background another voiced asked, "Touya, why are you making such a racket?"

"The kaijuu's on the phone, dad."

"I'M NOT A KAIJUU!" Sakura's loud voice escaped the other end of the phone.

Chuckling, Fujitaka took the phone and conversed with her daughter for several minutes before bading her good night and wishing her good luck on her trip.

"You too, daddy! I hope you'll have a great flight tomorrow to New York! Good night!" With a click Sakura hung up and got changed into her pyjamas, which was a short sleeved shirt with a bunny rabbit saying, "Cute but Psycho. Things even out" and a matching pair of shorts. They were a gift from Tomoyo on her birthday a year ago. She slipped under the covers and fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered slowly as the feeling of sleep faded away. From what she could tell, it was still quite dark. No light came from the windows, but in the background she could faintly make out the quiet, even breathing of Tomoyo in her sleep. Groaning quietly and turning over, she looked at the clock and realized that it was….

6:00 in the morning!

She squinted again, just to make sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her. But the red digital figures stayed unwavering at the same numbers, and she groaned again. Closing her eyes, she willed sleep to come to her, but after tossing and turning for more than half an hour she decided to wake up. It was always like this on the first day of sleeping in a new bed – she much preferred the stiffer mattress in her own bed at home, but it wasn't as if she couldn't get used to it. It usually took two or three days for her to adjust, though, so she knew she'd be waking up early for the next couple of days too. If only she could wake up this early during school, she half grinned to herself.

After shuffling to the washroom and brushing her teeth, she decided to pull her clothes out of her suitcase and folded it into neat piles in her side of the closet. Of course, by fold it actually meant shoving her shirt into one drawer and piling her pants in another, but it was good enough for her. From past experiences she knew that it didn't really matter what clothes she brought with her on a trip – if Tomoyo was there she'd always count on hauling an entire new wardrobe home, anyway.

By this time it was about 7:45, and Sakura had the idea of visiting the swimming pool and the exercise gym that the hotel advertised in its "guest services" booklet. Writing a quick note, she changed into a large T-shirt that used to be her brother's and a pair of sweatpants, grabbing her swimsuit with her.

The view from the top of the building was even more amazing – Sakura leaned on the railing for several moments, excitedly taking in the beautiful views of the city before returning indoors to visit her beloved exercise machines. After all, it was a benefit of growing up with her brother – she vastly enjoyed physical exercise, no matter what type. Turning up the treadmill she began with a brisk walk which speeded up to a jog, and then a sprint.

After a well enjoyed round of exercise Sakura went into the change rooms to switch to her swimsuit, and lounged for several moments before deciding to dip into the cool waters of the pool. At this time of the morning most of the guests were either asleep or at business meetings, so it was quite quiet on the roof. Swimming a couple of laps to relax, Sakura playfully lapsed into handstands, underwater somersaults, and timing how long she could stay underwater before she was forced to take a breath. By the time she was done it was nearly 11:00, as her watch told her, and Tomoyo should be awake. Grabbing her towel and clothes, Sakura hurriedly returned to her room to take a shower.

As the room's lock clicked softly to indicate the door unlocking, Sakura quietly grasped the handle and turned it gently, trying to make the least noise possible. Of course, all of it was for nought as when she entered the room a very annoyed looking Tomoyo was sitting on her bed, mock glaring at her.

"Just where were you, missy?"

Confusion surfaced in Sakura's eyes as she said, "At the gym and the pool upstairs – I didn't sleep all that well and I woke up really early."

"And why didn't you leave any notice? I was worried sick! What if you got kidnapped? What if you got lost? What if you ran away from me? What if…"

She was cut off as an amused Sakura interrupted, "I left a note on the table!"

A small O formed on Tomoyo's lips as she recognized sheepishly the note that Sakura was talking about. "I guess I just didn't look hard enough."

"More like not looking at all!"

"Fine, you win. But hurry and take a shower. We'll have brunch downstairs and then set off!"

"Set off _where_?"

"To a clothing store, of course! You can't walk around being a representative of Japan in an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants," Tomoyo added rolling her eyes.

"But I like my sweatpants!"

"Like is one thing! Your image is another entirely different issue here! And we have to visit a salon, too!"

"Fine!" Knowing that fighting with Tomoyo about her clothing and her so-called image was futile, Sakura stomped into the washroom and attempted to ease her worries of a crazy Tomoyo making her wear miniskirts.

* * *

Walking out of the hotel room about fifteen minutes later was a violet haired beauty wearing a pink sleeveless shirt with lace trimmings and a pair of capri jeans, and a rather plain looking girl with an oversized T-shirt and a loose pair of black pants. Both seemed to be in a bad mood.

"You know your stubbornness can't last, Sakura-chan! When I haul you into a store you'll never wear that outfit again!"

"Well, that'll be in a couple of hours, won't it? Now I want to enjoy my last moments of freedom!"

Rolling her eyes, Tomoyo interjected, "You make it sound like the death penalty, Sakura."

"Maybe it is!"

Finding seats in the restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, Tomoyo and Sakura continued their chattering about everything and nothing. Mischievously arranging her spaghetti and meatballs into a sloppy looking smiley face, Sakura was expecting a lecture from Tomoyo about playing with her food. But nothing came. Curious, Sakura looked up at Tomoyo's face and realized that a slight blush was tinging her cheeks. Turning her head and looking at Tomoyo's direction, Sakura realized what had been so captivating. It was a certain man with azure hair and eyes.


	3. A First Impression

Hey, it's Cirra dropping in again, and sorryfor the long delay for the third chapter! I'm really busy with projects and exams,and have really been sufferingfrom writer's block. BUT to make up for the extreme late-nessthis is an extra-long chapter!As always, enjoy and tell me if you've picked out any grammar/spelling mistakes! )

Disclaimer:I don't own, youdon't sue. Deal? Sweet.

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**Chapter 3: A First Impression**

Tomoyo's blush only deepened as the man recognized them – or Tomoyo, rather, since he only had eyes for her – and started to approach their table. Sakura didn't know whether to roll her eyes at the scene, or to laugh at Tomoyo's obvious discomfort.

"Have I seen you girls somewhere before?" the words flowed out of his mouth like silk. When Sakura raised her eyebrows at him, he smiled apologetically and answered, "I know, that was a pathetic and overused pick-up line. But you two were on my flight, weren't you?"

Sakura was about to open her mouth to say something, but decided that it was more amusing to watch Tomoyo handle this alone. After all, it wasn't as if she was the one who was obsessing over the person standing in front of them ever since they got off that plane. When Tomoyo finally recovered from the initial shock, she gave a slightest nod. Encouraged, the man continued charismatically, "And you ladies wouldn't mind if I joined you for brunch?" "Of course not!" a slightly overenthusiastic Tomoyo had finally regained her composure and was gesturing at the chair closest to him (which was incidentally beside hers; conincidence much?).

After taking a seat, the man smiled again, "I should have introduced myself much earlier. Hiirigazawa Eriol, at your service." With that, he gave a dramatic mock bow that Tomoyo giggled and Sakura rolled her eyes at. Tomoyo replied almost immediately, "I'm Daidouji Tomoyo, and this is Kinomoto Sakura. Please to meet you!"

Still staying silent, Sakura smirked at how Tomoyo had introduced her as if she couldn't do it herself. Tomoyo and Eriol continued their conversation (that Sakura couldn't put a word into) and started to flirt shamelessly, but it turned out that Eriol was back from being schooled in England was planning to attending Hong Kong University after summer ended. Coincidentally he was arranged by his aunt to stay in the same hotel that Tomoyo and Sakura were staying at. After finishing their brunch, Eriol looked at his watch and panicked, stating that he had to go somewhere, and hoped to meet up with them again.

Resting her head both of her hands, Sakura stared at Tomoyo with mock innocence as she waited for Tomoyo to return from La-la-land. "Welcome back to Earth, Tomoyo. I bet flirting with him was fun," Sakura teased. Turning red almost immediately, Tomoyo countered, "I wasn't!" When her companion batted her eyelashes at the weak protest, she added, "And elbows off the table, young lady!"

Defeated, Sakura took her arms off the table and muttered, "You're starting to sound like a mother."

"Don't think I didn't hear that! And stop rolling your eyes!"

Looking at her watch, Tomoyo exclaimed, "Wow, will you look at the time, Sakura." Laughing almost evilly, she added, "we have a very, VERY busy day ahead of us." Groaning, Sakura allowed Tomoyo to drag her out of the hotel and into the blazing heat of the streets.

* * *

Their first stop was a hair salon, where Tomoyo snatched the ponytail holder off of Sakura's hair and pushed her onto the stylist's chair, where a man with bright red hair which faded to blonde near the ends proceeded to cut Sakura's long, one-length hair into several layers (trying to not reduce the length by too much, as per Sakura's insistence) and then finished by drying her hair and healthy waves to boost its volume. Tomoyo then listened raptly as he gave them instructions on how to manage the hair and the different ways that Sakura could wear it – so much that Sakura could picture her writing into a notebook if she had brought one with her. Immediately after he was done, Tomoyo flew out of the salon (dragging poor Sakura with her) and brought her a clothing store.

After nearly tearing apart three stores in a row as Tomoyo tore through every article of clothing on the racks, taking them out and placing them in front of Sakura and then either smiling or frowning, Tomoyo and Sakura were holding five large bags between the pair, and a grumbling Sakura was – and had been for the past five hours – whining about her poor aching feet and how Tomoyo was enjoying torturing her.

And yet, Tomoyo was still complaining about the _lack of selection_ in the boutiques and how she still hadn't found the perfect clothes for Sakura. Shocked, Sakura gestured at their bags of clothes, "So what, are these bags of clothing a _trail run_!" Rolling her eyes dramatically, Tomoyo replied like she was talking to an infant, "Of course, _silly_!" Giving up, Sakura muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."

Then, with fake cheeriness, Sakura announced in a very fake voice, "Oh! Wow, Tomoyo, I have, like, the most, like, wonderful idea! How 'bout we go to _your _warehouse, and I can try on the clothes that you've designed!"

"Oh my goodness, Sakura you're a genius!" Tomoyo was getting more excited by the second. "And, you can serve as walking advertisement too! Wow!" This was when Sakura started to panic, "No no no, you've got me wrong. I was _kidding_, Tomoyo."

"Well, it's too late for that, isn't it?" Cackling again evilly, Tomoyo pulled Sakura in the cab and babbled the directions to her warehouse in fluent Cantonese. This was a gift that both girls possessed – they had a wide knowledge of languages simply because they had to travel so much, and usually to places where people didn't speak Japanese.

At the warehouse Tomoyo truly found her haven – she found several _cute_ outfits for Sakura, and even started to talk up ideas for new designs just to suit her friend. Realizing that they still needed some pairs of shoes (because all Sakura brought with her were running shoes and a pair of sandals that Tomoyo suspected once belonged to Touya), the pair rushed to department stores and little boutiques in a shopping district.

By this time Sakura had already been forced out of her original outfit, and had pretended to cry when Tomoyo made her promise that she would never wear running shoes and track outfits out again.

* * *

Sakura looked on grimly as Tomoyo immediately proceeded to pick up the pointy objects of doom (her name for high heels) when they arrived at one of their last shoe stores.

A while ago when Sakura stubbornly protested against wearing her new clothes, Tomoyo sat her down and explained to her that while she wasn't a full-fledged representative from Japan (as one or two other diplomats were also visiting Hong Kong for the event), it was still a duty as her father's stand-in to look presentable. As she put it, "You're not a little girl anymore. And you have to show everyone that."

Sakura scoffed and continued to complain, but she knew that Tomoyo was right. For a brief moment she wished that her father was here, so Tomoyo wouldn't have to force her to always "look her best". It was true that she had to deal with little heels and dresses when she was with her father, but those were usually one-night events, and sometimes she was even excused early so she could change out of the torture devices.

Tomoyo also made Sakura change into high heels to break them in, as she put it, since Sakura would have to be wearing them for some time. The heels weren't too high and were stacked instead of being stilettos, but Sakura still felt awkward in them.

In making fun of her new outfit, Sakura exaggeratingly strutted out of the store and dramatically flipped her hair, turning around and speaking in a high, annoying voice, "Look Tomoyo, aren't I, like, hot?" When Tomoyo rolled her eyes, Sakura was just about to announce her triumph when she lost her balance...

And fell…

Right on a man who was passing by.

Embarassed, Sakura uttered a quick apology and hoisted herself up, but before she could bring herself to look at the man he had already sped away, his back fading into the crowded street.

"Oh shush, Tomoyo!" A red-faced Sakura attempted to shush her friend, who was laughing her head off.

"Sakura, you certainly _knocked_ that man off his feet!" Laughing at her own bad pun, Tomoyo observed, "he did look a bit peeved, though. He must have been in a rush."

"Well, I said sorry," Sakura defiantly protested. However, she obediently helped Tomoyo carry their bags as they went to the hotel to drop off their purchases, and then went out for dinner.

"By the way," Sakura wondered, "Why did we have to make my _transformation_," rolling her eyes at that word, "in Hong Kong, instead of in Tomoeda?" Scoffing, Tomoyo voiced wisely, "Touya would freak out at this. He'd probably put up more resistance, if not absolutely barring you from going to Hong Kong."

Smiling, Sakura knew that Tomoyo was right. Her overprotective brother would definitely start panicking if he saw what Tomoyo did for her.

"Oh, and to add on to your promise," Tomoyo grinned dryly, "I'm glad that you put up with your hair cut, but from now on I'm in charge of your hair. It's good that you've grown it longer, but no more ponytails, unless we're in our own hotel rooms, or when we're not out! And, you always have to wear your contact lenses. Hmmm," Tomoyo mused thoughtfully, "maybe we should get another pair of glasses for you, just in case."

"No!" Sakura immediately cut in, not wanting to spend another two hours at an eyeglass store. When Tomoyo merely raised her eyebrow at her, Sakura added sheepishly, "Besides, you were the one who said I wasn't to wear my glasses unless we're in our rooms. No one will see my new glasses, anyway."

"Fine," Tomoyo admitted dejectedly that Sakura was right, but she still made sure that Sakura promised to not be so stubborn about what she wanted to wear. Sakura nodded slightly, knowing that it was pointless to protest, and all of a sudden the wind was knocked out of her when Tomoyo tackled her with a tight hug.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain man with messy brown hair and amber eyes entered a boutique close to where Sakura and Tomoyo had just finished their shopping trip. The owner of the store, with bright crimson eyes and cascading dark hair immediately approached the man with a greeting.

"Hi Syao-kun!" The woman chirped quickly and attempted to throw her arms around the man, whose scowl only deepened as he nimbly dodged the attack.

The woman then pouted and said again, "Aww, Syaoran, you're no fun. And what if I lost my balance and fell, you meanie?" She playfully waggled a finger in front of the man.

Rolling his eyes, Syaoran bluntly stated, "Meilin, you know martial arts. And for the love of God, stop calling me Syao-kun or I'm walking out right now, and you can take the subway to dinner."

The woman laughed lightly and replied, "Aren't you in a good mood today, Syao-kun? Or would you prefer Syao-baby, which was what that niece of the Health minister called you yesterday at dinner?"

Nearly shuddering at the remark, Syaoran turned away and was ready to walk out of the store – without Meilin – when she yelled after him, "Geez, can't you take a joke? And to think that you'd get used to these women fawning over you."

And with a hand comfortingly on Syaoran's shoulder, Meilin continued, "At least you have one less fiancée-wannabe, right?"

Smiling genuinely, Meilin thought back to when both of them were 11 years old, and she still had her mind made up that she was going to marry Syaoran, and they would live happily ever after. Fortunately, though, it was also Syaoran who helped her realize that her love for him was nothing more than platonic, and now they were practically as close as brother and sister.

Sighing, Syaoran gave in and asked, "So are you ready to leave yet? Mother's going to be annoyed at us, despite how you think being fashionably late, as you put it, is okay."

Walking back and grabbing her purse, Mei-lin announced that she was ready to go, but she couldn't help and wonder, "I've been meaning to ask you this ever since you've walked in. What's put the Royal Prince Syaoran the Pain in such a whiny mood?" she smirked and continued, "More than normal, anyway."

The only response to this was a low growl emitted from Syaoran's throat. Thinking of the stupid looking girl with auburn hair who clumsily bumped into him a short while back didn't help elevate his mood, to say the least.

As a response Meilin crossed her arms and was about to probe more, but Syoaran quickly cut her off with a withering glare.

* * *

Dinner wasn't very interesting, and was made worse by the fact that his cousin, Eriol Hiiragizawa, had just returned from a boarding school in England to attend university in Hong Kong the following September. His mother was talking about how _nice _and _thoughtful_ Eriol was to stop by Japan to visit his relatives, but Syaoran knew that a big part of the reason was because stupid Eriol got dumped by his girlfriend and he had been meaning to chase after her in Japan, only to find out that to avoid him she had left the country already. Rich girls. They treated everything like it was their toy in their little happy world, where they could have everything they wanted and still found reason to whine about their fluffy little lives. Syaoran's frown only deepened as he thought about this, and having met so many girls of the type in this and that political event only furthered his infuriation about the members of the female gender whose brains couldn't be larger than a walnut.

He snapped out of his reverie when Meilin, sitting beside him at the dinner table, suddenly grasped his arm and exclaimed animatedly, "Wow! I'm going to be so excited to meet her tomorrow! Won't you, Syaoran?"

At this question he racked his brain, but couldn't find the "her" that Meilin was referring to. Was it a relative, or a family friend? Not that he particularly cared, but he knew that Meilin would get annoyed knowing that he didn't hear a single word of their dinner conversation. Sure enough, when he couldn't bring himself to reply Meilin's bright smile faded into a beginning of a glare. Fortunately Yelan, his mother, who was sitting on his other side decided to lend a hand before Meilin started to yell at him: "Syaoran, we're talking about the daughter of the Japanese minister of foreign affairs who will be joining us for lunch tomorrow."

Oh. Just great; another airhead.

Meilin's voice interrupted, "Yeah, she's about our age too! It'll be fun!"

"Yeah. Fun. Definitely that."

"Could you get any more sarcastic?"

Before they couldargue any further, Yelan added, "Syaoran, I expect you to treat her with courtesy. Not only is the daughter of a Japanese minister, but he is also an old friend of mine. So be nice!"

Shrugging lazily, Syaoran agreed with indifference. Sure he'd be nice – as long as he didn't have to see her or deal with her.

Syaoran was finally spared when they shifted focus from him to Eriol, "I hope you're enjoying your stay at the Regal hotel while we finalize the renovation of your room, Eriol," Yelan smiled. "Maybe you have met the young Japanese ambassador already, since for convenience's sake I've booked for you to be staying at the same hotel."

Shaking his head no, Eriol responded pleasantly, "I don't think so, dear aunt. I didn't even know that we'll be receiving a visitor until now."

"Well, anyhow, I hope you're able to join us for lunch tomorrow. Then you can meet her too."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Meilin simply rolled her eyes and elbowed Eriol in the ribs, "Save your charm for the girls, Eriol."

Silently, Syaoran couldn't agree more. Sometimes Eriol was too much of a charmer for his own good. But what his mother didn't know that without the presence of adults, Eriol just acted like a big baby sometimes.

* * *

So that's that! I'll try to come up with the next chapter soon - and that's when Sakura and Syaoran will finally meet! I bet they'll get along juuuust fine...hehe.

Until then, Ciao!


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